Yes I want to bring this up again.

[Shockwave 75]

Sucks, dude.

But point of fact, Best Buy didn't buy Futureshop, Futureshop was always owned by the owners of Best Buy.
Why they didn't just open Best Buy here in the first place rather than now competing with themselves is beyond me..

[Dragon Knight]

Originally Posted by Shockwave 75

Sucks, dude.

But point of fact, Best Buy didn't buy Futureshop, Futureshop was always owned by the owners of Best Buy.
Why they didn't just open Best Buy here in the first place rather than now competing with themselves is beyond me..

I Guess some people are just over achievers.

[Dark Rage]

I'm sorry to hear that about your mom. Maybe a career change is possible?

If Zellers was doing so poorly, wouldn't you think that some of the employees would've attempted to improve business at all? No. Unfortunately, I believe that a lot of them became very comfortable in their cushy jobs. I'm not saying your mom is one of them, but from all the attitude many of the board members have experienced, it seems highly likely. The problem is, their wages have to come from -somewhere- (profits from selling things, perhaps?). And Zellers is absolutely horrendous when it comes to competitive prices for most of their inventory. I saw old CRTs still being sold at ridiculous high prices (even the 50% off sale wouldn't have made it a good deal). What kind of retailer marks UP their regular price on items when a sale occurs?! A deluxe TF for $20? How can I lose?!

Sorry, but the axe can't come down fast enough on Zellers, IMO. You won't get good customer service at Walmart because the employees are either incompetent or unskilled (low wages), at Zellers, you just get attitude from an overpaid CSR.


Off topic, I believe Futureshop continues to be separate from Best Buy because of the different way compensation is given to FS employees. Some sales staff are still clearly dedicated to commissions (either only or commissions+salary), while BB has no commissions at all. Something to think about when browsing at FS.

[Darth Cylon]

Originally Posted by Shockwave 75

Sucks, dude.

But point of fact, Best Buy didn't buy Futureshop, Futureshop was always owned by the owners of Best Buy.
Why they didn't just open Best Buy here in the first place rather than now competing with themselves is beyond me..

Originally Posted by Dark Rage

Off topic, I believe Futureshop continues to be separate from Best Buy because of the different way compensation is given to FS employees. Some sales staff are still clearly dedicated to commissions (either only or commissions+salary), while BB has no commissions at all. Something to think about when browsing at FS.

I used to work at both Future Shop and Best Buy in store and then at head office. Best Buy US bought Future Shop in 2001 and FS became Best Buy Canada. But Best Buy US was smart enough not to upset the Canadian market and keep FS alive while opening BB near FS.

As for compensation for store staff, they both suck. If you work at FS on commission, you could work a whole day and not make a dime. If you work at BB, you likely get just about 12-16 part-time hour on minimum wage with no benefit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Shop

[Nomad]

Honestly from my experience, pretty much all retail sucks ass unless you're part of the management team, and even then it still sucks ass because you've gotta deal with just as much (if not more) shit than you did before. It's just that you're usually making enough money for it (not like it's great, but still) to be worth it, and more importantly, you've got a small potential to make your business better.

You normally have neither of those things just being floor staff, and unless your management goes above & beyond the call of duty, it'll never improve.

[Badgertron]

I've been watching the slow downward spiral of Zellers since the 80's, & while I've always been fond of it, not as a business, but as a Canadian Brand, I recognize that it could never redeem itself. The conversion to Target will very likely result in somewhat cleaner stores, & perhaps more frequent sales, but I don't really expect customer service to improve. The bulk of retail staff will likely be re-hired Zellers employees, who will be put through a corporate "re-conditioning" program, and for that I am truly sorry for them.

-BT

[Team Jetfire]

Originally Posted by Robimus

I can't remember ever getting customer service(other than at the cash register) in a Walmart, Zellers or Target, so the idea that service will improve I think is very unlikely.

If any price gets lowered at Walmart due to this I will also be in shock. I guess they might price match a sale, but the fact that they barely do that now again makes me think its unlikely.

But then I honestly don't find Walmart to be that much superior to Zellers in the grand scheme of things. I certainly hope that everyone that thinks Target is going to be something just incredibly awesome are right.

Customer service comes in all forms and it does not always mean that all the employees are going to be cheerfull and ready to assit at a moments notice. In fact, I HATE shopping at places like that becuase it makes me unconfortable. I'm not at Disneyland, I'm not interested in your specials and I do not want to be friends with you.

I want a Clean store that has the product that I am looking for at a price that is competitive. Zellers in NONE of those things.

As an example, I went to local Zellers (same one as Jourdo) with my son one day to check out the toys. He noticed a WFC Bummblebee figure that was removed from its packaging and left there in the open. He brought it over to the lady (Not a teenager, a lady) to let her know that it was open and left. Fast forward to a week later and the open figure was back on the shelf...

[Pascal]

Originally Posted by Team Jetfire

Customer service comes in all forms and it does not always meant that all the employees are going to be cheerfull and ready to assit at a moments notice. In fact, I HATE shopping at places like that becuase it makes me unconfortable. I'm not at Disneyland, I'm not interested in your specials and I do not want to be friends with you.

This. Never had a problem asking for help in a WM or Zellers though. I prefer to ask than to be harrassed.

[Matrix_Holder]

I returned a dotm space case to the zellers in the Burlington mall because he had full on cracks on the knee joints and where the wings are connected ...if they were transformed they would snap off. I showed the CS rep the defects when I returned it and told her that it is busted right out of the package. I came in the next day and it was on a peg for regular price and all taped up. I told a CS person and they said that they would send it off ....next day...back on the peg....selling known busted merch as "good" is disgusting
Plus now with their clearance pricing of increasing the regular price of a Gijoe
Figure with a jet pack....to 29.99 on sale for 22.99. When its original price was 16.99. It sucks that people are losing their jobs but zellers sucks and I cannot wait for target. I do hope the employees find themselves in a better way this coming year.

[Scrapper6]

Zellers is akin to a Dinosaur in a Retail Market that has evolved into Birds. (If you subscribe to that particular theory.) Their stores were once something to be proud of in Canada, but let's face facts. Even after the recent remodeling of all their stores, they still have the same shitty design issues.

I walk into a Wal-Mart and it is brightly lit, there are many cheery colors and the aisles are not a hassle to get down when they are packed full of people.

I walk into a Zellers and I see drab colors, aisles that are far too narrow for their own good and full of product that Wal-Mart and EVEN TRU (Notorious for keeping stock around years beyond practicality) have clearanced out and/or marked down to get them off the store floor.

Their clothing line is a joke, I bought a couple of T-Shirts from them... At least ten years ago, they were uninspiring, bland, piss-poor colors (Orange, WHO THE HELL BUYS ORANGE T-SHIRTS? Well aside from me, since they were like discounted dirt cheap at the time and I needed new shirts.) and made rather badly to boot. I can't begin to tell you how long they lasted, all I know is I don't have them anymore, and really who would? Even quality made shirts don't last longer than five to seven years.

Zellers on the whole Stopped Caring, Stoped Trying to Compete, Stoped even reprimanding their employees to get them to smarten up. Zellers Employees are not bad, they just don't care enough anymore about their Retail chain.

I'm not saying they'll change their song in a Target environment, who can really say how it'll be, until we see the first Grand Opening of a Target and find out how they've designed and laid out things, and what kind of brands they will carry we can't know.

But let's face facts. Zellers is incompetent. I bought from them a Game Boy Advance Game at the one that was closing up over a year ago, that thing was in their Discount Game Bin They're Discount Game Bin! Still marked at full fricking price, and it was only due to the massive clearance of all stock from a Closing Up Permanently Store that I got any kind of deal on it what-so-ever.

It is a real shame that your mother has to lose her job and then re-apply, but it is part of the buy out practice. From what I understand it has something to do with the Government and certain Benefits and such the closing store recieves and their employees? may recieve... I'm not 100% sure on that. But it has all to do with something like that.

The only thing I'm sad to see go is the Zellers Brand Cafeterias that most of the stores had there. Instead we'll be getting Timmys in all the Targets. WOW, Timmys, like I couldn't just walk five steps out of my door and find one waiting for me if I wanted to. I get that Target doesn't want to have to deal with a Restauraunt on top of a Retail Outlet, but COME ON, at least give the spot to someone decent like Salsbury House or something so that the Seniors will still stop by and give you a profit on top of going out to lunch or dinner at quality food establishments that AREN'T MCDONALDS. But No, they have to abolish all that and partner up with Timmys. GOD. Utterly Stupid.